Weeks into the school year, rural school districts remain especially hard hit by the national school bus driver shortage that gained widespread attention late this summer.
Bus routes have been shortened or extended, drivers are working longer hours, and in some cases administrators, mechanics and even teachers are climbing behind the wheel. Some districts have offered hiring bonuses, increased drivers’ wages and paid families to bring kids to school. Rural education experts worry the shortage will intensify inequities, leaving rural children further behind academically.
“In many rural areas, there are high rates of poverty and a lot of rural families might not have transportation themselves, so if the buses aren’t running, the kids literally have no other option to get to school,” said Mara Tieken, an associate professor at Bates College in Maine and a rural education expert. “It might mean more isolation, more online learning, and rural kids may or may not be able to access it given the digital divide.”
School officials say many older drivers retired early rather than risk getting sick. Vaccine mandates have prompted some drivers to quit and dissuaded some would-be drivers from applying for the job. Meanwhile, the coronavirus continues to interrupt schedules.